The systematics of the dusky striped squirrel,Funambulus sublineatus (Waterhouse, 1838) (Rodentia: Sciuridae) and its relationships to Layard's squirrel,Funambulus layardi Blyth, 1849

The systematics of the dusky striped squirrel, Funambulus sublineatus (Waterhouse, 1838 Waterhouse, GR. 1838. On a new species of squirrel … Sciurus sublineatus. Proc Zool Soc Lond. (part VI), : 19–20.  [Google Scholar]) are reassessed against new evidence following a revision of its genus, Funambulus Lesson, 1835 Lesson, RP. 1835. Illustrations De Zoologie, ou Recueil De Figures D'animaux peintes d'aprés nature, Paris: Arthur Bertrand.  [Google Scholar]. Mitochondrial DNA suggests that the Sri Lankan subspecies of F. sublineatus is the sister taxon of Funambulus layardi Blyth, 1849 Blyth, E. 1849. Note on the Sciuri inhabiting Ceylon and those of the Tenasserim provinces. J Asiatic Soc (Bengal), 18(1): 600–603.  [Google Scholar], despite its phenotypic similarity to the nominate species. Morphological and mtDNA evidence is presented for these species plus additional mtDNA data from Funambulus palmarum (Linnaeus, 1766 Linnaeus, C. 1766. Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis, 12th, Holmiae: Laurentii Salvii.  [Google Scholar]) and Funambulus pennantii Wroughton, 1905 Wroughton, RC. 1905. The common striped palm squirrel. J Bombay Nat Hist Soc, 16: 406–413.  [Google Scholar]. Morphometric data indicate that the two taxa conventionally considered subspecies of F. sublineatus are sufficiently distinct for them to be ranked separately, resulting in two further endemic mammal species in India and Sri Lanka and an increase in Funambulus diversity. The name of the Sri Lankan species changes to Funambulus obscurus (Pelzeln and Kohl 1886 Pelzeln, Av and Kohl, FF. 1886. Ueber eine Sendung von Saugethieren und Vogeln aus Ceylon. Verhandel zool bot Ges Wien, 35: 525–528.  [Google Scholar]). Whether the mtDNA phylogeny is a true reflection of F. obscurus and F. layardi remains unresolved pending further data.     

First record of the genus Brachyzapus Gauld and Dubois (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae) from Vietnam,with descriptions of six new species

Based on a recent collection of ichneumonids from Lao Cai Province, at an elevation above 1500 m above sea level, the genus Brachyzapus Gauld and Dubois, 2006 Gauld, ID and Dubois, J. 2006. Phylogeny of the Polysphincta group of genera (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae; Pimplinae: a taxonomic revision of spider ectoparasitoids. Syst Entomol., 31: 529–564. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] is reported from Vietnam for the first time and six new species are described: B. carinatus sp. nov., B. convexus sp. nov., B. duboisi sp. nov., B. fansipanensis sp. nov., B. hoanglienensis sp. nov. and B. politus sp. nov. Notes on distinguishing characters are provided and the new species are included in a tentative key to 12 species of Brachyzapus. Three species are formally transferred from Zabrachypus to Brachyzapus: B. atripedalis (Sheng, 2001), B. nitidus (Hao and Sheng, 2002 Hao, D and Sheng, ML. 2002. A new species of genus Zabrachypus Cushman (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). J Northeast Forestry Univ., 30: 95–96.  [Google Scholar]) and B. nonareaeidos (Wang, 1997) are new combinations.     

Taxonomy of the genus Gabrius Stephens, 1829 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina) from China,with description of two new species

In this paper, two new species of the genus Gabrius from China are described and illustrated: G. zhoui sp. nov. from Sichuan and G. invisus sp. nov. from Beijing, Hubei, Hunan, Henan, Shaanxi, Sichuan and Zhejiang. Gabrius imitator (Fauvel, 1895 Fauvel, A. 1895. Staphylinides nouveaux de l'Inde et de la Malaisie. Rev Entomol, 14: 180–286.  [Google Scholar]), G. lebedevi (Bernhauer, 1910 Bernhauer, M. 1910. Zur Staphylinidenfauna des palaearktischen Gebietes. Soc Entomol, 25: 71–71. 78–79 [Google Scholar]), G. tirolensis (Luze, 1903 Luze, G. 1903. Eine neue Art der Staphyliniden-Gattung Philonthus Curtis aus Mitteleuropa. Verhandlungen der k. k. Zool-botan Gesellschaft Wien, 53: 386 [Google Scholar]), G. kambaitiensis Scheerpeltz, 1965 Scheerpeltz, O. 1965. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Schwedischen Expedition 1934 nach Indien und Burma. Coleoptera Staphylinidae (except Megalopsidiinae et Steninae). Ark Zool, 17: 93–371.  [Google Scholar], G. cinctiventris Scheerpeltz, 1965 Scheerpeltz, O. 1965. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Schwedischen Expedition 1934 nach Indien und Burma. Coleoptera Staphylinidae (except Megalopsidiinae et Steninae). Ark Zool, 17: 93–371.  [Google Scholar], G. egens (Sharp, 1874 Sharp, DS. 1874. The Staphylinidae of Japan. Entomol Soc London Trans, : 1–103.  [Google Scholar]), G. smetanai Schillhammer, 1997 Schillhammer, H. 1997. Taxonomic revision of the Oriental species of Gabrius Stephens (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). Mono Coleop, 1: 1–139.  [Google Scholar] and G. zerchei Schillhammer, 1996 Schillhammer, H. 1996. New genera and species of Asian Staphylinini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae). Koleopterol Rundsch, 66: 59–71.  [Google Scholar] are reported from China for the first time. Thus, a total of 53 species of the genus Gabrius are known from China.     

Revision of the genus Mimopodabrus Wittmer (Coleoptera,Cantharidae)

The genus Mimopodabrus Wittmer is reviewed, and the genus diagnosis is re-described. Three new species are described, M. multidentatus sp. nov. (Guangdong, China), M. variabilis sp. nov. (Yunnan, China) and M. diversefoveolatus sp. nov. (Lao Cai, Vietnam), with illustrations of habitus, antennae and aedeagus. A species is transferred from Micropodabrus to this genus, M. bicoloriceps (Wittmer, 1989 Wittmer, W. 1989. 42. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der indo-malaiischen Cantharidae und Malachiidae (Coleoptera). Entomol Basil., 13: 209–237.  [Google Scholar]) comb. nov. A species is synonymized, M. bicoloriceps (Wittmer, 1989 Wittmer, W. 1989. 42. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der indo-malaiischen Cantharidae und Malachiidae (Coleoptera). Entomol Basil., 13: 209–237.  [Google Scholar]) comb. nov.?=?M. bicoloriceps Wittmer, 1997 syn. nov. and the definition of M. yunnanus (Wittmer, 1993 Wittmer, W. 1993. Zur Kenntnis der palaearktischen und indo-malaiischen Cantharidae (Coleoptera). Entomol Basil., 16: 203–253.  [Google Scholar]) is restricted. A key to all known species of this genus is provided.     

Stegana castanea species group (Diptera,Drosophilidae) from the Oriental region

The Stegana castanea species group is established as a morphological group within the subgenus Steganina, based on two known and six new species from the Oriental region: Stegana (Steganina) bacilla Chen and Aotsuka, 2004 Chen, HW and Aotsuka, T. 2004. A survey of the genus Stegana Meigen from southern Japan (Diptera, Drosophilidae). J Nat Hist., 38: 2779–2788. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; S. castanea Okada, 1988 Okada, T. 1988. Family Drosophilidae (Diptera) from the Lund University Ceylon Expedition in 1962 and Borneo collections in 1978–1979. Entomol Scand (suppl)., 30: 109–149.  [Google Scholar]; S. (S.) reni sp. nov.; S. (S.) tiani sp. nov.; S. (S.) tongi sp. nov.; S. (S.) wangi sp. nov., S. (S.) weiqiuzhangi sp. nov. and S. (S.) xui sp. nov. from southern China. A key to all the species of this group is provided.     

Taxonomy of the Goliath beetle Goliathus orientalis Moser, 1909 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae)

The 16 names proposed for the central and eastern African Goliath beetle Goliathus orientalis Moser, 1909 Moser, J. 1909. Eine neue Lokalform von Goliathus giganteus Lam. Deut Entomol Z, 1909: 238 [Google Scholar], are reviewed and a complete synonymy is presented for the species. The earliest published name is Goliathus giganteus orientalis Moser, 1909 Moser, J. 1909. Eine neue Lokalform von Goliathus giganteus Lam. Deut Entomol Z, 1909: 238 [Google Scholar], type locality Lindi, Deutsch-Ostafrika, and so the correct name for the species is Goliathus orientalis Moser, 1909 Moser, J. 1909. Eine neue Lokalform von Goliathus giganteus Lam. Deut Entomol Z, 1909: 238 [Google Scholar]. Goliathus meleagris Sjöstedt, 1927a Sjöstedt, Y. 1927a. Goliathus meleagris n. sp. (Vorläufige Mitteilung). Entomol Tidskr, 48: 123 [Google Scholar], type locality Katanga, Congo Belge, is a synonym of G. orientalis. Populations of G. orientalis in the Usambara Mountains, Tanzania, may represent a distinct subspecies. The correct subspecific name for this form would be G. orientalis usambarensis Preiss, 1933 Preiss, P. 1933. Neue und bekannte afrikanische Cetoniinen mit besonderer Berucksichtigung der Fauna von Mongoumba. Verh Naturhist Ver Preuss Rheinl Westfalens, 90: 1–3. 70–92 + pls [Google Scholar]; the widely used name G. orientalis preissi Endrödi, 1951 Endrödi, S. 1951. Die arten und aberrationen der gattung Goliathus Lam. i. Folia Entomol Hung (n. s), 4: 29–56.  [Google Scholar], is a junior subjective synonym of G. o. usambarensis Preiss. Goliathus orientalis is re-described and characters are presented for separation of adults of G. orientalis from adults of the partially sympatric species Goliathus goliatus (L.), 1771 and Goliathus albosignatus Boheman, 1857.     

Review of the genus Calamotropha Zeller (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Crambinae) from China,with descriptions of four new species

Four new species of the genus Calamotropha Zeller are described from China: Calamotropha duofurcata sp. nov., Calamotropha abrupta sp. nov., Calamotropha aequilata sp. nov. and Calamotropha unispinea sp. nov. Three species are redescribed: Calamotropha formosella Bleszynski, 1961 Bleszynski, S. 1961. Revision of the World species of the Family Crambidae (Lepidoptera). Part I. Genus Calamotropha Zell. Acta Zool Cracov., 6(7): 137–272. pls. 20–71 [Google Scholar], Calamotropha josettae Bleszynski, 1961 Bleszynski, S. 1961. Revision of the World species of the Family Crambidae (Lepidoptera). Part I. Genus Calamotropha Zell. Acta Zool Cracov., 6(7): 137–272. pls. 20–71 [Google Scholar] and Calamotropha melli (Caradja and Meyrick, 1933 Caradja, A and Meyrick, E. 1933. Materialien zu einer Microlepidopteren-Fauna Kwangtungs. Dtsch entomol Z Iris., 47(3):123–144) [Google Scholar]). Calamotropha latella (Snellen, 1890 Snellen, PCT. 1890. A catalogue of the Pyralidina of Sikkim collected by Henry J. Elwes and the late Otto Möller, with notes by H. J. Elwes. Trans Entomol Soc Lond 1890:557–647, pls 19–20 [Google Scholar]) is newly recorded for China. Images of adults and illustrations of genitalia of the new species and the redescribed species are provided. A checklist and a key to the known Chinese species are presented, along with a map showing the distribution of these species.